Calling on all Leaders to Make DC Safer

Many Washingtonians are understandably on edge about recent increases in crime. We all want our families, friends, neighbors, and every District resident to live in safe communities where our children can walk around without us having to worry about them. To achieve that goal, we must be clear eyed about what we face and work together on short and long-term public safety strategies.

We also need to be honest about the fact that violent crime is getting more attention now because it is happening in wealthier neighborhoods. However, in many low-income Black and brown communities, violence is a daily part of life. This simple fact does not diminish residents’ fears about safety, but it should force us to have a more candid conversation about how to move forward.

There is not a simple answer to accomplish that goal. But it is clear that we must work together, not point fingers, to truly address these issues head-on.

Here’s what my office is doing. We are prosecuting all violent crimes committed by juveniles where we have strong evidence. Because convictions can only be secured where an arrest was constitutional and where the proof is beyond a reasonable doubt, we prosecute the strongest possible cases. You may have heard some recent conjecture from the Mayor about our efforts. Here’s the truth:

But, prosecutions are just one tool to address crime. By no means should it be the only one. And we know that reactionary, punitive responses to crime – as we have seen in past decades – don’t actually make our communities safer. Instead, they have subjected a generation of Black and brown people to mass incarceration without actually addressing the issues that led them to commit crimes in the first place.

We must respond to violent crime with aggressive prosecution. My office is doing its part. But we also must get at the roots of the violence by addressing trauma and hopelessness in our most disadvantaged communities, which suffer disproportionately from violence. That means working to prevent gun violence before it starts. It means getting communities the resources they need so they don’t feel like they have to turn to violence. And it means helping rehabilitate youth in the justice system as much as possible and hold them accountable while also making it less likely they will reoffend. All of these efforts improve public safety now and in the future.

Anyone, including a young person, who commits a violent crime should be held accountable. And accountability is not inconsistent with our efforts to help them get the services and support they need so they are less likely to reoffend, making our communities safer.

Violent crime among youth points to deeper issues in the communities they live in. Access to guns is a huge problem, stemming from weak interstate gun interdiction efforts that allow too many guns to flood into the city. Youth and families suffering with unmet mental health needs in communities plagued by violence, poverty, and housing instability all contribute to desperate and frightening acts that terrorize and traumatize all District residents.

We have to work together to address these challenges and make DC safer, and District leadership needs to lead. Read more about my office’s efforts to improve public safety.

Thank you.

Karl A. Racine
Attorney General 

Suing Google for Deceiving Users and Invading Their Privacy

Last week, I announced a major new lawsuit against Google to hold the company accountable for misleading and deceiving users to gain access to—and profit from—sensitive information about their physical location. These practices invade users’ privacy and violate the District’s consumer protection laws. I’m proud to have led a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general in this coordinated effort to stop Google from using these deceitful practices.

I’ve made protecting residents from harmful and deceptive practices one of the top priorities in my office. And this lawsuit gets to the heart of these issues. Residents have the right to know and control how their sensitive personal data—particularly location data—is collected, stored, and used.

We have alleged that, over and over, Google misled users to get them to enable location tracking on their phones and other devices, giving Google access to all of that personal data. As a result, Google is able to follow users, and then profit off their data.

We also allege that Google used deceptive practices known as dark patterns to get consumers to agree to provide their data. Dark patterns are design elements on a webpage that are crafted to trick users into doing things, such as buying overpriced insurance with a purchase, signing up for recurring bills, or agreeing to hidden costs. One example of a dark pattern Google used was prompting users to enable Google to access their location by claiming apps would not otherwise work properly– but that wasn’t true.

I encourage any user – whether you have an Android phone or use Google apps on a different device – to check for yourself. Try to figure out how to stop Google from collecting your location. It’s confusing, contradictory, and you won’t get all the answers. But it shouldn’t be this way. And our lawsuit seeks to force Google to be transparent with users and to make sure users are in control of their own data and privacy. They deserve nothing less. Learn more about our lawsuit from this Washington Post article.

49 Years of Roe v. Wade

Last week was the 49th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, and tragically, it could be the last. If Roe v. Wade is overturned by the Supreme Court this term, the Guttmacher Institute estimates that roughly two dozen states would quickly move to ban most or all abortions, and many states have “trigger bans” that would go into effect automatically – a huge blow to the health and safety of patients across the country.

We know what that means: rural patients, low-income patients, Black and brown patients will effectively be forced into pregnancy, without regard for their own choices, circumstances, health, or safety. These are the same patients already bearing the brunt of abortion bans like the one in Texas.

These bans don’t stop patients from seeking the care they need. They just make it more dangerous and more expensive. Patients seeking abortion care, including those traveling from other states, are welcome in the District. We are open for care and have strong legislation protecting patients’ health, safety, and reproductive rights.

We must keep up the fight to protect those rights across the country. I’m committed to doing my part, and I urge leaders at all levels of government to do the same. Patients deserve nothing less.

Get Your Free COVID Test Today

Free COVID-19 tests are available at COVIDtests.gov. No credit card or payment information is required. Get your tests today and help slow the spread in your community.

Human Trafficking Red Flags

Human trafficking – including sex and labor trafficking – are some of the most heinous crimes. And they happen in our own communities, impacting children and adults all over the District and the country. But community members can help stop these crimes by learning to identify trafficking, serving as eyes and ears in their communities, and knowing how to report it. To mark Human Trafficking Prevention Month in January, we shared red flags to look out for that could indicate someone is being trafficked or is at high risk:

• Running away from home
• Truancy/not attending school
• Possessing cell phones they did not purchase on their own
• Making purchases with credit cards that do not belong to them
• Relationship with a person who is older and/or who dominates them
• Signs of physical abuse, such as burn marks, bruises, or cuts
• New tattoos (traffickers often use tattoos as a form of branding)
• Signs of gang affiliation

If you see these signs, or if you are a survivor of human trafficking looking for help, you can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline (1-888-373-7888) to get connected with resources close to you, wherever you are in the country.

And to local organizations helping survivors of human trafficking: Thank you for your critical work.

Partnering with Local School to Help Prevent Human Trafficking

Last month, my office announced a new partnership with Cardozo Education Campus to educate members of the community about human trafficking, and how to help prevent it and report it if they see it happening. Through this partnership, our office will train students, school staff, and parents on recognizing and reporting trafficking – potentially reaching over 700 members of the school community. A few weeks ago, we launched our year-long partnership by hosting a public education event with Principal Mola on Instagram Live. Working together as a community, we can help stop these horrific crimes and stand up for survivors. Click here to watch our Instagram Live.

Protecting the Rights of Customer Service Agents

Last month, I announced a lawsuit against Arise Virtual Solutions, Inc., a customer service support company, and Comcast, which contracts with Arise, for allegedly denying customer service agents minimum wage, overtime, and paid sick leave by misclassifying them as independent contractors rather than employees. Arise employs about 180 District residents who have been cheated by this illegal scheme—and it specifically targets women of color in its recruiting. Every worker deserves their hard-earned wages and benefits, and I will keep fighting every day to make sure that happens. Read more from ProPublica.

Holding U.S. Park Police Officers Accountable

Last month, nine other attorneys general and I filed an amicus brief arguing that criminal charges against two U.S. Park Police officers who shot and killed Bijan Ghaisar, an unarmed driver in Virginia in 2017, should not have been dismissed. We argued that the officers should be held accountable for shooting and killing Mr. Ghaisar, and they shouldn’t be immune from prosecution just because they are federal officers facing state prosecution. Mr. Ghaisar’s death was tragic and unnecessary—and that tragedy has been magnified by how long his family and community have already waited for justice. We need the court to clarify the standards for granting immunity to federal officers to ensure states can still seek justice when crimes are committed within their borders. Read more from The Washington Post.